Process for treating petroleum



C. F. DUBBS PROCESS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM Filed June 2l 1919 March 251924.

Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

rrED STATES MWZS y CARBON P. DUBBS, 0F WILMETT, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOUNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFSOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS FOR TREATING- PETROLEUM.

Application led June 21, 1919. Serial No. 305,793.

whereby petroleum is passed through a heat-5 i'ng zone, thence through avaporizing or converting chamber whereln vaporous products are releasedand the heavier residual material isdrawn off; a process in which thevapors liberated in the vaporizing zone are passed through a series ofpools of liquid oil subjecting the vapors to a dephlegmating action; aprocess in which the circulation of the vapors may be controlled byapump interposed in the vapor line; a process which utilizes the raw oilas a reflux condensing agent, the condensate combining with the raw oilprior to its being introduced to the heating zone; a process whereby anincreased amount of the heat generated is utilized in the system; aprocess in which the raw oil is caused to circulate down throughsuccessivo pools maintained in the dephlegmator, subjecting the vaporsbubbling therethrough to a reliuxing action, the'raw oil and condensatebeing drawn ofi' from the bottom of the dephlegmator; a process wherebythe oil under treatment is heated in one stage and such heat treatmentso controlled and regulated as to prevent any substantial deposition ofcarbon in such `zone;` a process in which lthe oil to be treated is fedcontinuously or intermittently by passing it 'through succeeeding poolsof oil before being passed to the cracking tubes, such oil being freedof that portion having the desired low boiling points whiledephlegmating the vapors in said pools.

The invention and apparatus reside in such features of construction andsu'chprocess and method features as will more fully be hereinafterdescribed. 4

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation in section of an apparatus, bywhich my process can be carried out.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the Vaporizing chambers and the immediatepiping.

Fig. 3 isa top cross sectional view of that section of Fig. 1, in whichthe pools of oil are shown.` This is a cross section taken on the line3-1-3 of Fig. l.

In describing the attached drawing, and operation of t-he process, theoil to be treated is drawn from a source (not shown), and is forced intothe apparatus through valve marked K1, through line K, through the lineK2, which section is perforated that extends across the bottom of thetop vpool'of oil in the chamber marked LX. The portion vaporizing assaid oil percolates up through this pool of oil is passed of throughvapor line L, through the pressure regulating valve L1, throughgooseneck L2, through condensing coil lL4 positioned in condensing tankL7, through line L4l into tank M, along with the incondensable gases.1Water is fed to tank L7 through line L5 and travels out of said tankthrough line L. The condensate collected in tank M is drawn off throughline M1 having positioned thereon pressure regulating valve M2, whilethe incondensable gas is drawn olf through line M8 through pressureregulating valve M* and on this tank is a liquid level gauge M6 andapressure gauge M5.. Tanks M and L7 rest on the supports marked X.

The level of thetop ool of oil in the chamber L is maintains atapproximately J and any surplus Aflows through pipe J1 into the pool ofoil directly" thereunder, the level of this pool being maintained atpoint marked J. Any excess travels through line J3 into the bottom ofthe pool of oil immediately thereunder, the level of this pool beingmaintained at point J and any excess travelling throu h the line J2 intothe pool of oil immediate y thereunder and this pool is maintained at alevel marked J and any excess travels through lineJ, havlng positionedon its valve J 5. At the bottom of line J the cross sectional area isreduced as shown at J 1, the larger sized. pipe used in J t being forthe purpose of allowing the oil to be, more or less, freed of any vaporscontained therein, such vapors passing back up through said pipe intothe bottom of the chamber L". The remaining liquid passes through lineJ11 into header A, and passes through lines B into header A1. In each ofthese headers opposite each end of the tubes B are positioned plugs A3,for the purpose of allowing entr-y to said tubes for cleaning same andoppositethese plugs are furnace doors A* and A5, which by opening giveready access to said plugs.

The tubes B and headers A and A1 are positioned in the furnace A1. Asthe oil passes through these tubes B from header A to header A1, it issubjected to heat, which converts a portion into lower boiling pointproducts, and the oil iows from header A1 through line C, into headerC1, having positioned therein pyrometer N and though valve C2 intoretort D, which retort has manholes marked D D, pressure gauge P andpyrometer N.

As the oil passes through tank D, a proportion of same is vaporized andpasses up through vapor lines E into header E1,

through valve E2 into line E4', which also has a pyrometer marked N.Through the line E, theyalve E5 being opened while the valves Efs'andE1o are closed, the vapors pass into the bottom compartment of thechamber L". Any proportion condensing drains into the bottom compartmentof chamber L", and is automatically returned to the heating tubes Bthrough line J 4. The uncondensed portions pass up through the pipesmarked F1 and by means of caps G are forced down and discharged near thebottom into the pool of oil in that chamber. The bottoms 'of the capsmarked G are perforated at the points marked H. The vapors as theybubble up this pool of oil give up more or less of their heat and moreor less of same are condensed and as they bubble up through this liquid,they are more or less scrubbed. The excess oil accumulated in this pooltravels through pipe J2 into the pool of oil contained in thecompartmentdirectly thereunder, the pipe J2 extending down into the pool of oil toa point near the bottom, thus forming a liquid seal so that no vaporscontained in the lower chamber can pass up through pipe J2 into theupper chamber. The remaining vapors pass up through pipesl F2 and areforced by means of ca s G1 down to near the bottom of. the pool o oilcontained in this chamber and there escape into said pool of oilthroughthe perforations at a point marked H in said caps or if these are not 0fsuicient capacity, the excess vapors can pass clear down under thebottom of the caps and.- escape up through the oil from that point.

As such vapors percolate up through this pool of oil, more or less ofthe heat in same is extracted and acquired by the pool of oil, thuscausing more or less of the vapors to condense and be retained in suchpool of oil and act to have a scrubbing effect on remaining vapors. Thesurplusoil accumulating in this chamber travels through pipe J 2 intothe pool contained in the chamber immediately thereunder, such pipeextending to near the bottom of said latter pool, so as to prevent anyvapors passing therethrough from the latter chamber up into the formerchamber. The remaining vapors in the last mentioned pool pass up throughpipes F andby means of caps G2 are forced down to near the bottom of thepool of oil contained in this chamber and are there discharged into saidpool of oil through the perforated places marked H or by passingcompletely -under the bottom of caps G2 and as they percolate up throughthis pool of oil, more or less heat is extracted therefrom and retainedin the oil forming this pool, which causes more or less of such vaporsto becondensed and retained in this pool of oil and the surplus of suchoil overows through pipe J1 into the pool immediately thereunder, beingdischarged in said pool near the bottom so as to prevent any vapors insaid lower chamber passing through this pipe into the upper chamber.There may be as many pools of oil as are shown in the chamber L* or asdesired or found necessary to suliciently scrub the va-1 pors passedtherethrough and to reduce and condense any desired portions of thevapors to produce the desired bolllng point, the remaining vaporspassing from said chamber it necessary to show more than one chamber Imarked L".

In case-it is desired to stimulate the flow of vapors from thevaporizing cham.

ber into and through the chamber L", a pump is provided marked E8 andconnected to the vapor line E4 by means of line E6, having ositioned on1t valve E7 and on the disc arge side of the pump it is connected tovapor liniegE byline E9, having l positioned on it valve E1o and to usethis pump for pumping, the valve E5' would be closed on line E*V andvalves E7 and E1o would be open, and pump put in operation, therebycausing the vapors to travel from line E1 through line E", through pumpE1. through E9, back through line E4 on the opposite side of the valveE5 from which the vapors were originally drawn from line E". Indifferent parts of this vaporizin chamber are shown pyrometers markedand pressure gauges marked P. The chamber L and pump -E8 are positionedon supports marked X. The portion of oil in the vaporizing chamber Dremaining unvaporized is drawn off either continuously or intermittentlythrough line D3, through valve D5 and with it is carried off more orless Iof the carbon formed in the cracking of the oil. V aporizingchamber D is duplicated as shown in vaporizing chamber marked D1. Thisis for the reason that w-hen it becomes necessary to clean vapor chamberD, the rest of the apparatus can be kep-t in operation by diverting theflow of heated oil coming from the heating tubes B into the othervaporizing chamber D1 by the opening of valve C3l land the vapors Eassedtherefrom by the opening of valve 3, andthe unvaporized portion in tankD1 being drawn oif through valve D5 through line D4 and the discharge ofthe heated oil into tank D being stopped by the closing of valves C2 andE2. In due time, the manholes marked D-D on this latter tank .can kbeopened and the-tank cleaned; said tank will be ready to be put back inservice by the time it becomes necessary to clean tank D1, this beingdone by the closing of valves C3, and E3 and the opening of valves C2and E2. These vapor chambers are supported by supports marked X. SaidVaporizing chambers and va-por line marked E and section of vapor linemarked E1 are heavily insulated as indicated by D31. The purpose of suchinsulationA is for preventing loss of vheat from this section and toprevent any portion of the oil, after once being vaporized, fromcondensing and mixed back with that portion remaining in the vaporchamber unvaporized. These vapor chambers are maintained only partlyfull of oil. e

It will be noted that the raw oil is fed into the top'or last pool ofo-il, which is of the lowest temperature and flows .from there into thenext succeeding -pool of oil, which is higher in temperature and then tothe next,'

which is stili higher, etc. thus being pro-- gressively subjected toincreasing temperatures and also mixed with such oils as are condensedin these pools of oil IandV such mixture returned for further heating.Thus, the raw oil being fed in is being preheated before lpassing to theheating coils B and thus utilizing more or less of the heat given up bythe va ors that are passed through these pools o oil. It will 4be notedthat by this novel arrangement, such portions'of the oil, either of theraw oil fed in or that formed by condensing of portions of the vapors asthey pass through the different pools of oil that are changed to thedesired low boiling point products, pass through the water condenser,and are condensed and collected separately, thus avoiding the necessityof subjecting them to t-he heat of the furnace A". j

Among other advantages of this process is controlling the amount ofcracking done on each circuit of the oil through the heating or crackingtubes B, the separation and withdrawal 4from the apparatus of theunvaporized portion remaining in the vapor chamber along with more orless of the carbon formed, the fractional condensing of the vaporsgenerated and those of not sulicient low boiling point returned to theheating tubes for further heating and cracking, thus being entirelyfreed from any carbon content before being passed again `through saidheating tubes and in each circuit of the oil and vapors through theapparatus, that portion that is again passed through the heatingcoils-is `always free of all carbon before being subjected to furtherheating cracking action.

It will also be observed that in this arrangement, great economy in fuelwill be gained. The temperature to which the oil is heated may vary froma minimum of 200 degs. I4`. to 60() degs. F., and from a maximum of 600degs. F. to 1500 degs F. While the pressure maintained may vary fromminimum of a few' pounds to the square inch to a maximum of 800 poundstothe square Linch. These ranges of temperature and pressure are by `nomeans arbitrary.

lVhile I have shown and described a particular apparatus for carryingout my method,` the latter is not limited to the use with the particularapparatus shown and described. Also vari-ous changes in the details ofconstruction, connections and operation of the apparatus may be madewithin the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

'1. A process of oil conversion which consists in passing hydrocarbonoil but once through a continuous elongated passageway where the oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in introducingthe highly heated oilto an enlarged chamber with which said passageway communicates, indischarging -the vapors Afrom said chamber to a dephlegmator, inintroducing charging stock to the dephlegmator to intimately comminglewith said vapors to condense the heavier vapors and heat the stock, indischarging uncondensed vapors, in returning to the inlet side of saidelongated passageway interminglcd condensate and charging stock forpassage `therethrough, inwithdrawing carbon conllt) taining residue fromsaid enlarged chamber without permitting any portion thereof to againenter the elongated cracking passagen Way, and in maintaining asuperatmospheric pressure on said system.

2. A continuous process of oil conversion, consisting in passing oil ina stream once through an elongated passageway Where said oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in passing the highly heated oil toan enlarged expansion chamber where a substantial portion thereofvaporizes, in discharging vapors directly from said chamber to adephlegmator, in substantially continuously introducing charging stockto said dephlegmator to intimately commingle with the vapors passingtherethrough to condense the heavy oil vapors in discharging uncondensedvapors from said dephlegmator. in continuously returning condensate withintermingled heated charging stock to the inlet side of the elongatedcracking passageway forv passage therethrough for treatment, and inmaintaining a superatmospheric pressure in said system. v

3. A continuous process of oil conversion, consisting in passing oil ina stream through a continuous elongated passageway where said oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in then passing the said highlyheated oil to an enlarged expansion chamber where a substantial portionthereof vaporizes, in discharging the vapors from said chamber to adephlegmator, in substantially continuously introducing charging stockto said dephlegmator to intimately commingle with the vapors passingtherethrough to condense the heavy oil vapors, in continuously returningintermingled condensate and charging stock -to the inlet side of theelongated crack.

ing passageway for passage therethrough for treatment, in separatelydischarging residue from said expansion chamber without permitting saidresidue to enter the elongated cracking passageway, and in maintainingsaid system under a superatmospheric pressure.

4. A process of oil conversion, comprising passing hydrocarbon oil onceonly through a continuous elongated passageway where said oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in then delivering the highlyheated oil to an enlarged chamber, in then passing vapors from saidchamber to a dephlegmator, in introducing liquid oil to saiddephlegmator to condense the heavier vapors, in passing said condensateand heated liquid oil substantially continuously and without previousmixture with the hydrocarbon products in said enlarged chamber to theinlet side of said elongated passageway for treatment therein, indischarging uncondensed vapors from the dephlegmator for finalcondensation, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oilin said passageway, enlarged chamber, and dephlegmator.

5. A process of oil conversion, comprising passing a stream ofhydrocarbon oil through an elongated passageway where said oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in delivering the highly heated oilto an enlarged. vapor chamber where vaporization thereof occurs, in thenpassing vapors from said chamber to a de'phlegmator, in introducingcharging stock to said dephlegmator to condense the heavier vapors, inpassin said condensate and heated charging stoc continuously and withoutprevious admission to the vapor chamber to the inlet side of saidelongated passageway for treatlnent therein, in discharging uncondensedvapors from the dephlegmator for final condensation,` in sepalatelywithdrawing residue from said vapor4 chamber without permitting saidresidue to enter said elongated passageway, and in maintaining asuperatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing distillation and whilein the dephlegmator.

6. A process of oil conversion, consisting in passing hydrocarbon oil ina stream through an elongated continuous passageway where said oil issubjected to a cracking temperature, in passing the highly heated oil toan enlarged chamber, in discharging vapors from said chamber into adephlegmator', in introducing chargin stock to said dephlegmater, incausing t e vapors to percolate through oil pools in said dephlegmatorwhere the heavier vapors are condensed, in continuously admitting to theinlet side of said elongated cracking passageway the intermingled refluxcondensate and charging stock for passage through the elongatedpassageway, in removing heavy carbon containing residue from said vaporchamber without returning said residue to said elongated continuouspassageway, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure in thesystem.

7. A process of oil conversion comprising passing hydrocarbon oil in astream once only through a continuous elongated passageway disposedwithin a furnace where said oil is subjected to a cracking temperature,in transferring the highly heated oil to an enlarged chamber wherevaporization of a substantial portion thereof occurs, in dischargingvapors ,from said chamber to a dephlegmator, and in aiding in thecondensation ofthe insufficiently cracked vapors passing through saiddephlegmator by introducing to the dephlegmator incoming charging stock,in passing the condensate from said dephlegmator and the charging stockto the inlet side of said elongated passageway to travel therethrough ina continuously advancing `stream to be heated to a cracking temperature,in discharging uncondensed vapors lfrom the dephlegmator forualcondensation, and in maintaining a sal superatmospheric vapor pressureon the oil in said passageway, enlarged chamber and dephlegmator.

8. A continuous process of oil conversion, consisting in maintaining atreated body of oil heated at a cracking temperature in an enlargedexpansion chamber where lvaporization of said oil occurs, in dischargingsaid vapors to a dephlegmator for passage therethrough, in condensingthe heavy insufficiently cracked vapors in said dephlegmator byintroducing charging stock thereto, in

l discharging uncondensed vapors from said dephlegmator, and in thenheating said charging stock and condensate from said dephlegmator to acracking temperature for introduction to said expansion chamber bycontinuously admitting the same to the inlet side of continuouselongated conveying means disposed Within a heatingfurnace to flowtherethrough once only and to be discharged after said single passageinto said expansion chamber, in discharging residue from the expansionchamber Without admitting the same to said elongated conveying means,and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoingdistillation and while passing through said dephlegmator.

i CARBON P. DUBBS.

